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In light of the incumbent MotoGP Champion Marc Marquez’s shoulder injury suffered in Indonesia, the Spanish seven-time MotoGP World Champion will be replaced for the rest of the season by MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship runner up Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati). The #11’s replacement ride will come as his first time back in the MotoGP paddock since 2021 when he steps on the Ducati Desmosedici GP machine at Portimao and Valencia.

‘Bulegas’ first appeared in the paddock in Moto3 back in 2015 when he featured in a single round at Valencia after he was crowned Moto3 European Champion that same season. That appearance preceded a three-season stint in Moto3 from 2016 to 2018, where he collected two poles, two podiums, and two fastest laps. Making the move up to the intermediate category in 2019, he featured for another three years among the Moto2 field until the conclusion of the 2021 season, when he then joined WorldSSP for 2022, before winning the title in 2023 and finishing as WorldSBK runner-up in both 2024 and 2025.

Marquez’s 2025 Championship celebrations were cut short at Mandalika after he clinched the title the round prior, in Japan. He was competing in the Grand Prix when he and Aprilia Racing rider Marco Bezzecchi collided on the opening lap. After a trip to the medical centre, Marquez was diagnosed with a fracture and ligament damage in his right shoulder, and opted to have surgery; forcing him out of the final part of the season. He was initially replaced by Michelle Pirro at the Australian and Malaysian Grands Prix, but for Portimao and Valencia, it will be Bulega on the Ducati Desmosedici GP25 that helped the #93 to this year’s title. It comes after he tested the bike at Jerez following the conclusion of the WorldSBK campaign.

Looking ahead to his MotoGP debut, Bulega said: "I'm very happy to be able to end a season like this one with a last-minute surprise. Making the MotoGP debut is the dream of any kid who aspires to become a rider. Plus, being able to ride the World Champion bike for the final two race of the 2025 makes everything even more exciting. It'll be a big gamble; I have no expectations. I'll take this experience calmly, especially because, so far, I've only been able to test the Desmosedici GP at Jerez. That said, I'm certainly motivated to do well and give my all. Thanks to Ducati and Ducati Corse for their trust, to Claudio, Gigi, Mauro, Davide, Stefano, and Serafino for making me feel their full support and to Team Aruba.it Racing, with whom we finished a season as protagonists".

Ducati Corse General Manager, Gigi Dall’Igna, added: “I'm very happy to see Nicolò working on the Desmosedici GP. Nicolò has been part of the Ducati Corse family since 2022, when we wanted him to ride the Supersport bike. We believed in him, and he repaid us with two seasons as an absolute protagonist in Superbike, where he came close to the title and became our reference point as a rider. Furthermore, for next year we announced his commitment, together with Michele Pirro, in the developing the Desmosedici GP with new tires, and the opportunity to race in the final two GPs is the best way to begin working in this new role as a test rider. It will certainly be demanding, but I hope he'll be able to enjoy this experience: for a young rider, making the debut in the top category of our sport is a great satisfaction”.

Check out some of Bulega’s best moments from his last two seasons in WorldSBK with the WorldSBK VideoPass!